SERVE aims to recruit Indigenous students (Native American/Native Alaskan) into the Title IV-E Stipend Program with a specialization in Public Child Welfare. Title IV-E is part of the Social Security Act managed by the Administration for Children and Families of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and provides stipends for the following students with a specialization in Public Child Welfare:

•BASW full-time students, a stipend of $20,270 for the final year of study

•MSW full-time students, a stipend of $25,000 per academic year

•Part-Time MSW and Pathway BASW & MSW* reimbursement stipends for student expenses including tuition, books and travel; dollar amounts vary by program. *Limited to current county employees, CDSS, or tribal employees.

NOTE: Native students are able to payback their service working with a tribe or tribal agency/organization & are able to go anywhere in the U.S. to find work.

Envisions Tribal sovereign nations and Indigenous communities as sustainable healthy communities that use healing interventions to provide empowerment, mentorship, and leadership development; to promote cultural preservation and appreciation of Indigenous cultures by recognizing and supporting Tribal sovereignty, and protecting cultural rights and identity of Indigenous peoples.

Committed to full equity, justice, well-being, and cultural preservation of American Indian/Alaska Native children and families by increasing the numbers of Indigenous social work graduates; fostering inclusive leadership development; developing partnerships between Tribal sovereign nations, indigenous communities, and other stakeholders; and implementing decolonizing social work curricula to reflect community-based, culturally appropriate Indigenous values and the promotion of Indigenous sovereignty and self-determination.

1. To increase the enrollment and graduation of Native Americans from social work programs offering Bachelor of Arts in Social Work (BASW) and Master of Social Work (MSW) degrees in California.

2. To increase the number of opportunities for all MSW students to complete field placements at Tribal agencies, or agencies that work extensively with Tribal populations.

3. To increase partnerships between Tribal organizations and advocacy groups and schools of social work throughout California.

4. To increase capacity and curriculum of the California Title IV-E Education Program-affiliated schools to train social workers with cultural responsiveness directly related to California’s Native population.

SERVE was initiated in 1981 at UC Berkeley through the American Indian/Alaskan Native Program in Social Welfare. In 1999, SERVE was adopted by CalSWEC and grew into a statewide effort that operated from California State University, Stanislaus, where it helped to form collaborative working relationships with 67 of 110 California Tribal agencies.

In summer 2011, SERVE was expanded and restructured in an effort to strategically increase statewide outreach and development efforts. It now operates from three distinct locations for the state’s Northern, Central, and Southern regions as part of the California Title IV-E Education Program hosted by UC Davis and UCLA in partnership with the California Department of Social Services.